


Controlling the Beast

by Stardust_Mage



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: But I don't care, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Gen, How Do I Tag, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Troll Jim Lake Jr, i update when i want, probs too late to post this, season 2 plot divergence, technically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-05-31 16:16:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15123200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stardust_Mage/pseuds/Stardust_Mage
Summary: What if one of the stones that Jim puts into his amulet gives him the ability to to turn into a Stalkling? Cool, right? Wrong. along with the new form comes new instincts that aren't exactly helpful when trying to keep in control. And the nightmares he's been getting ever since he returned from the Darklands aren't helping either...This is my first Fanfic so to whoever reads this, please leave behind any comments, suggestions, criticisms and questions so I can improve! Thanks!





	1. Chapter 1

Jim woke with a start, his face and body drenched in sweat. He took a few deep, steadying breaths, then got out of bed to get ready for school. After he showered, got dressed and made breakfast for his mum and lunch for Toby and himself, he walked out of the garage door and saw his best friend already waiting for him, putting his helmet on. "Hurry up Jimbo, we're gonna be late... AGAIN!" Toby said with urgency. 

"Sorry Tobes, I didn't get much sleep last night." Jim replied in a drowsy tone. Toby's face fell when he realized what he meant.

"Oh, i'm sorry man, the whole returning from the Darklands thing must still be taking it's toll on your sleep schedule huh, more nightmares?" He asked. Jim nodded. "Well we'd better keep going if we don't want to be late." He said jumping on his bike and pedaling in the direction of school.

 

Jim was so relived when the bell finally rang to signal the end of the school day that he practically sprinted out of his Algebra class to get to his bike and wait for the others. Toby and Claire were close behind him as they went through the forest to get to the canal. Jim skidded to a stop once he reached the bottom of the incline and waited patiently for Claire to get the Horngazzle out of her bag so they could enter Trollmarket. As they were walking down the glowing steps, Claire spoke, "Hey Jim?" 

"Yeah?" he replied

"Toby says that your still having nightmares, you do realise that you can talk to us about it, right?" She continued 

"Yeah, it's just, too soon, you know." Said Jim. Toby and Claire nodded their understanding. "Hey, but on a lighter note, Blinky said that for today's training i'll be learning how to unlock the power of my amulet, whatever that means..." he said, pondering the odd phone call he had gotten from the Troll earlier that day.

"OOOH that sounds awesome Jimbo!" Toby said excitedly, clapping his hands together like a child. Claire and Jim stifled a laugh as Toby slipped on the last step and landed on the ground at the bottom with a thud.

 

Jim stood in his Eclipse Armor in the Hero's Forge in front of Vendel as he explained the abilities that each gem would grant him. "This stone gave a previous Trollhunter the ability to move faster than the eye could see, oh and this one here is one of my favorites," he said, pointing to a blue and green striped crystal,

"Why?" Asked Jim.

"Well Trollhunter, we don't exactly know what this one does. It was found near a baby Stalking and was presumed to be it's Birthstone, but I think it's time we know for sure." Vendel explained 

"I didn't know that Stalklings had Birthstones." 

"Well Master Jim, they are Trolls." Blinky said as Vendel handed it to Jim. He took a deep breath and put the stone into the back of the Amulet.

"For the Doom of Gunmar, Eclipse is Mine to Command." he said, rising into the swirling vortex of energy. He landed on the ground with a thud, then suddenly, felt a shooting pain in his shoulders. Jim stumbled forwards and groaned in pain. 

"Jim!!" Cried Claire and Toby, struggling in ARRRGGGH's grip as he unwillingly restrained the two teens. Jim was now hurting all over, his head was pounding, his shoulders were aching and his lower back was searing in pain. then, all of a sudden, the pain stopped.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire, Toby, Blinky, Vendel and ARRRGGGH all stared in horror at the creature that lay in the center of the Hero's Forge. The creature stood up on shaky legs as before it stumbled forwards trying to regain it's balance, then it shook it's head, opened it's piercing blue eyes and looked directly at Claire. The eyes became slitted and the monster began growling and stalking towards her, wings spread out slightly."STALKLING!" Vendel cried, Toby interjected saying

"That's not just any stalkling that's..."

"MASTER JIM!! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, THIS ISN'T YOU!" Blinky yelled over the snarling and growling of the Stalkling, no, the snarling and growling of Jim. Claire was backing up toward the wall, looking Jim in the eyes, her own wide with fear. Suddenly, he pounced. ARRRGGGH was too far away to help when she screamed and tripped backwards, holding her hands up in front of her face. Jim's front legs slammed down on either side of Claire's head, preventing her from escaping. He then reared up and opened his mouth, about to go in for the kill, but a large blue fist connected with the side of his head, knocking him out cold. "Is everyone alright?" Draal asked while helping Claire to her feet. Everyone nodded.

"Good, then i'll just toss this beast into The Deep while it's still unconscious..."

"NOOOOOOOO DRAAL STOP IT'S JIM!" everyone yelled as he began to hoist the limp body above his head. 

"Very well." he said, dropping Jim back onto the ground with a thud.

 

When Jim was still unconscious, ARRRGGGH dragged him across Trollmarket to put him in the dungeon so that if he was... grumpy... when he woke up, they could at least contain him. On the way to said dungeon, Blinky was rambling about Jim's coloration and features, "Oh my, look at his horns! so intricate, yet so sturdy, black horns are usually just for show among trolls! And the coloring, black and red? What a peculiar combination!"

"Yeah, it looks like his Eclipse Armour with all the red swirls and stuff!" Toby said pointing at a thigh emphasizing his statement. Once they reached the dungeon, Jim was just starting to stir, but he wasn't really coherent enough to do much except growl and thrash his tail a bit. When he was fully conscious, he was very grumpy about being put in a cell, even though he could think clearly now that the initial instincts had worn of, but strangely, he couldn't change back. 

Jim poked his face out through the food slot in the door and started to call to his friends, except they couldn't understand what he was saying, (they just heard roaring) so instead of walking up to the door and letting him out, as a friend would do, Claire smacked her boyfriend across the snout with her Shadow Staff to shut him up, because frankly, she had a huge headache already and all of Jim's yowling wasn't helping. He pulled his face back in sharply, rubbing it with a clawed hand. He then sent her a questioning look that said "Why did you hit me?" She muttered 

"I have a headache..." Jim snorted and gestured at his own head where she had hit him. Her eyes widened when she realized that he was in his right mind again, then she rushed to open the door.

"Oh jeez, i'm so sorry Jim, I thought you were still all crazy." She said apologetically. He moved to step outside, but stopped, remembering that his Mom would freak out if she came home to see a Stalkling laying on the couch. Claire must have realized too, because she stepped inside while saying, 

"Well, if you can't go home, I may as well keep you company." They were both so tired that it didn't seem awkward that Claire curled up against Jim's belly, his wing acting as a blanket and his neck as a pillow. They were both asleep in seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is finally done! I know the ending is a bit rushed but tell me what you think of the story line and comment suggestions for chapter 3! I'll try to update when I can!


	3. Chapter 3

Blinky, ARRRGGGH and Toby all hurried down to the dungeons to see if Claire was alright, she hadn't picked up her phone after Toby tried to called her three times so they were understandably in a panic. The last thing they expected to see when they finally arrived, however, was Jim and Claire cuddling on the floor of his cell with the door wide open. 

Blinky was doubled over in silent fits of laughter, covering his mouth with all four hands while Toby had his phone out and was now spamming the camera roll with cute pictures of Claire and Jim snuggling. It was ARRRGGGH who laughed a little too loudly which caused Jim to sit up suddenly, eyes wide and alert. The other three couldn't contain their laughter as his face hardened into a sort of weird looking Stalkling scowl, ears pressed flat against his neck with his fangs slightly bared. (A/N I know that Stalklings don't have ears, I just feel like it adds more expression.) After a brief catch up with a very flustered and blushing Claire, Blinky let Jim out of the cell so he and Vendel could monitor his condition as they explored Trollmarket.

 

Everything was so much more, everything now that Jim had better senses! The smell of the fried socks was so much more enticing and the Heartstone's otherworldly glow warmed his soul. Most incredible of all was Claire, her smell, her voice, her face were so much more alluring that he caught himself gazing at her a few times for unknown amounts of time.

As the Trollhunters were walking around the main streets of Trollmarket, they heard a ruckus and a familiar voice shouting "TROLLHUNTER! TROLLHUNTER!!" The team ran to the source of the yelling with Jim in front and Vendel hurrying along behind. They skidded to a halt as they rounded a corner, alert and ready for anything. What the Trollhunters saw made them gasp. It was Grey Stalkling, a bit smaller than Jim, standing over Bagdwella, who was cowering and covering her face, shaking all the while.

Something inside of Jim clicked when the beast stopped and looked up at his face. His eyes became slitted and he started to slowly walk forwards, producing a strange warbling sound deep in his throat. The Other prowled fowards too, but it was growling loudly instead with it's ears against it's neck. Jim's shoulders tensed and he started to growl too. Soon, both Stalklings were roaring at around half volume (still deafening) at each other, tails thrashing wildly. Then, the two stopped, walked to the middle of the ring that had been formed by onlooking trolls, and touched the tip of their tails together. "Fascinating..." Vendel whispered to Blinky who nodded vigorously. 

"What are they doing Blink?" Toby whispered, 

"I think that this is a ritual of some kind, a territorial display perhaps?" Blinky suggested, looking on with interest. 

Jim and the Other walked back out to the edges of the ring, never taking their eyes off the other for a second. Jim then stood up on his hind legs, opened his wings and roared again. The Other did the same. Then, they charged toward each other, launching partway off the ground at the middle and smacking into each other with a loud boom that shook the earth. 

The two Stalklings were snarling at each other and trying to dig their claws into one another's chest while also biting at the other's necks. The Other managed to latch on to Jim's neck and was now in the process of pushing him over. A few seconds later and the two were struggling on the ground, Jim's neck still in the Other's jaws.

Suddenly, it let go, leaving him panting on the ground. Jim then stood up and walked back out to the edge of the ring. He then snorted, lowered his head and pawed the ground like a bull. The Other mirrored his actions and they charged again, this time locking horns. They went back and forth between the wrestling and the horn locking for an hour and half before the grey Stalkling finally left. 

Jim had lots of deep scratches across his body that would need attention later, but right now, he just wanted to sleep. He discovered that there are a lot of comfortable spots for napping in the Forge now that he could use his wings, so that's where he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter finished! this one is slightly longer because I've been wanting to write it for a while so i hope you enjoyed reading and please leave any suggestions for chapter 4. (I'm thinking of getting the Creepslayerz involved somehow... comment and send in those kudos if this sounds like a good idea!)


	4. Chapter 4

Jim was running through the Darklands, pursued by a gang of particularly nasty Gumm-Gumms. They were relentless in their hunt, hollering and whooping at him from behind. 'Things just had to get worse, didn't they?' Jim thought to himself as he slipped onto his face. He stood up and kept running with a rolled ankle, wincing at the dull pain shooting up his leg. "oh no..." he muttered out loud as he realized his attackers had backed him into a corner, their spears preventing any escape. the darkness surrounded him... there was no way out... the dark was suffocating... Jim couldn't breathe...

 

"JIM!! WAKE UP" Claire yelled up at the thrashing Stalkling that had only moments ago been snoozing peacefully on one of the high ledges in the Forge. His eyes snapped open and he instinctively tried to roll onto his stomach, but that sent him tumbling off the ledge he was perched on. 

There was a collective gasp as Jim unfurled his wings to their fullest extent to slow his fall, they were massive, like, each wing was as long as his body, massive. He gently landed after flapping his wings to stabilize himself. 

Claire and Toby ran up to Jim immediately and were firmly holding onto his horns and patting his snout to stop him from freaking out and trashing the Hero's Forge. The Stalkling was antsy, tossing his head lightly to try and shake the last strands of drowsiness from his consciousness. When his vision sharpened, he immediately looked at his wings which were hanging by his side. Claire and Toby let go of Jim's horns and went to look at his wings as well. 

"Blinkous, what do you know about the size of Stalkling wings?" Vendel said while looking at them.

"Well, I don't know much, but typically, the larger the wings, the more dominant they are." Blinky replied, also studying the wings. Soon enough, the whole team was looking at Jim's wings, and he was sleep-deprived and very hangry, so he shook his wings out of his friend's grips and huffed at them in annoyance before climbing back up to his perch to get the rest of his much needed beauty sleep. 

 

Claire watched as her boyfriend went back to sleep with his back facing her. She sighed and decided to text Jim's Mum and tell her that Jim was going to be at Toby's house all night. Half an hour later she heard a voice say "Hey Claire, weren't we supposed to take Jim out into the canal tonight? I think we all need some fresh air."

Claire nodded in agreement and called out to Jim. "JIM... JIM!!!! WAKE UP, WE'RE GOING OUT TO THE CANALS FOR A WALK!!" His head instantly shot up, ears standing at attention and eyes wide with anticipation. She and Toby giggled at his antics. 

He followed the two out into the canals and he started running and bouncing around like a dog with a ball. Toby got a call from Eli and Steve a little later on in the night, asking if there was any 'Creepslaying' they could help out with, and after a brief mime conversation with Claire, he invited them down to the canals to hang out (after Jim scares them out of their minds, of course). 

 

Jim was crouched in the treeline, waiting to jump out on Claire's command, 'This is so gonna be worth the wait!' he thought as he smelled two individuals approaching his friends. He had to strain his ears to hear them talking to Toby and Claire, "Hey guys!"

"Hey Eli! How are you doing?" As Jim waited impatiently for the que words as the Trollhunters and the Creepslayerz made small talk, he could feel himself subconsciously memorizing their scents, for what reason, he had no idea. 

Suddenly, something snapped him out of his scenting. It was a different scent, muskier, death riddled, a Gumm Gumm. He instantly launched into action, leaping out of the bushes to protect his friends from the attack. 'This is gonna cost Steve and Eli so much...' he thought to himself, getting into a battle stance and ignoring the screams coming from behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave any ideas, suggestions and criticisms behind because i love getting comments from all of my lovely readers! And don't worry, Jim won't be a Stalkling forever!


	5. Chapter 5

'It just HAD to be Gumm Gumms, why not a rabbit or something?' Jim thought as he darted around the canals, swiping left and right at the oncoming attackers with his talons fully extended. A guttural snarl escaped his mouth as one of the Gumm Gumms charged at the group of teenagers he was protecting 'How DARE you'. 

Jim's vision darkened around the edges as he felt his body unconsciously move towards it, as if guided by an unknown force. 'Go for the throat' was the only thing Jim could think of when he slammed into the Troll's broad chest, his talons raking across it's black helmet. 

The stalkling opened his jaw and clamped down on the Gumm Gumm's neck, shaking his head slightly. Jim let go once he felt the troll beneath him crumble into lifeless stone. He bellowed his victory into the air, the sound reminiscent of an adult bear roaring. Jim then promptly turned his attention back to the trolls approaching his friends. 

 

Jim flared his wings fully, flattened his ears against his neck and snarled so viciously, that it could have sent chills down Gunmar's spine, then the remaining Gumm Gumms turned tail and ran away into the shadows. The black haze around his vision remained in place as he turned around and looked at the teenagers, Claire and Toby both had their respective weapons out and were standing in front of the Creepslayerz, who were weaponless. 

Jim started to stalk towards them, wings dragging slightly on the ground. When his best friend spoke to him, it was like he was underwater, the sound muted and the colors distorted. Jim tried desperately to expel the haze from his eyes and stop himself from hurting them, then the Stalkling inhaled deeply and he caught the scent of his girlfriend, and that did the trick. 

Jim violently shook his head and rubbed his eyes, when he opened them again the haze was gone, and in place of the haze stood his friends. The Stalkling shot them an apologetic look while folding his wings and wiping the drool off his snout.

 

"Soooooo, let me get this straight," Eli said, once the group was sitting (in Jim's case, laying) in a circle, "Jim is a stalker..." 

"Stalkling" Toby corrected. 

"Right right, Jim is a Stalkling, and he can't always control himself, but he also... can't change back into a human?" Eli continued, rubbing his temples. 

"Were you actually going to prank us though?" Steve said with a tone of annoyance. 

"It was Toby's idea." Claire muttered from atop Jim's back. Toby gasped in mock offence,

"How could I do such a thing!" Everyone looked at him wearing a fake scowl. "Whaaaat?" the boy said innocently, holding his arms up to show how 'innocent' he was. Jim's low, rumbling laugh made everyone else lose their composure and join in with him.  

The group talked long into the night about school, Trolls, and anything else that came to mind. Jim and Claire had tuned out of the conversation a while ago, and they were just sitting in comfortable silence, both enjoying the other's company under the moonlight.

For the first time in a while, Jim felt more or less at peace with both of the worlds he was destined to keep safe. It was almost as if a weight had been lifted off his chest, and if the red flash was any indication, it must have been a literal weight as well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Jim needs a break, so here we are. Sorry once again about the wait, I don't have a set update schedule so bear with me! Please leave any suggestions for the next chapter in the comments and don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

Claire wrapped her arms around Jim's (now human) neck, and he reciprocated eagerly. "About time." he muttered into his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Mmmm." she affirmed, nuzzling his neck a bit and hugging him tighter. "What made you change back?" Claire inquired.

"I'm not entirely sure, I think I just calmed down enough for the armor to deactivate on it's own." Jim replied, letting her go.

"JIIIIMBOOO! your back!" Toby yelled as he quickly replaced Claire's position in his best friend's embrace. Jim chuckled as the boy nearly knocked him over.

"Woah, Tobes, relax! I've been here the whole time." Jim laughed, returning the hug. His eyes then traveled to the pulsing blue amulet at his feet. He picked it up, flipped it over and went to remove the Stalkling birth stone from the back when he paused and thought to himself, 'Do I even want to? It gave me a huge advantage in battle, and it could be used against Gunmar...'

 

Jim's thoughts wandered as the Trollhunters bid the Creepslayerz farewell and they went their separate ways, the former to Trollmarket, the latter to Eli's house. The teens were arguing about whether or not Vendel would let Jim keep the stone or not. "I'm telling you Jimbo, Vendel won't agree, he'll find a way to get it out even if you hide it from him."

"I'm sorry Jim, but Toby's right. That stone is really dangerous, you lost control more than once, and I think it would be better off under Vendel's watch." Claire reasoned.

"Guys, think about it, the Trollhunter turning into a Stalkling would be the last thing Gunmar and his army would expect, it would give us the element of surprise, and not to mention a serious leg up in battle."

His friends seemed very against the idea of Jim using the birth stone, but he couldn't understand why it was such a huge deal to them. The team decided to leave that conversation there and sort it out later, much to Jim's relief.

 

The Trollhunter was very confused, even though he was back in his human form, he still retained the heightened senses from his other form. He could smell Toby and Claire's emotions. Both of them reeked of anxiety, fear and he could also detect some residual adrenaline from the fight beforehand. 'Must be a pheromone or something.' Jim concluded. Then, he smelled pain and nausea rolling off of Claire in waves and he sneezed in an attempt to expel the stench from his nostrils. He looked at her in concern as the scent got thicker, indicating that there was more of it than before.

The headache Claire had before had only worsened throughout the night, the once peaceful hustle and bustle of the marketplace was now deafening and painful. No one noticed at first, but as the night wore on, Jim started shooting Claire worried looks and asking if she wanted to leave, to which she replied, "No, i'm fine."

'How does he know?' She thought to herself as she strode ahead of Jim and Toby. At that point Claire's headache was debilitating, and Jim seemed to realize it. 'I think i'm gonna... pass... ou...' Her vision grew fuzzy, and just before everything went black, she felt a pair of large, cool, clawed hands catch her gently. Claire looked up into the wide, worried eyes of her savior as her vision faded into nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done (albeit a very short one)! I don't really know about the timeline so just assume it's after the Darklands, I also need ideas on what to name the Stalkling Birth stone. Please leave comments on how I can improve and give me your ideas on what to put in the next chapter. If you liked this chapter, please vote and/or follow me! Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhhh cliffhanger!!!! What do you think? I know that it's short, tell me what you think in the comments so I can improve how I write!
> 
> btw depending on how many views this gets i will try to update ASAP


End file.
